Drunk cyclist on the highway: caught with stolen children's bike!

Drunk cyclist on the highway: caught with stolen children's bike!

On Friday morning, April 19, 2025, the Viennese police received an emergency call about an unconscious cyclist on the Danube bank in Vienna-Floridsdorf. When they arrived, the officials found a 38-year-old Polish man who was heavily drunk with an alcohol value of 2.74 per thousand. The man was encountered on the green strip of the highway and stated that he had driven on the motorway entrance by bike before he went to sleep there. Fortunately, he was unharmed and was taken to a hospital for further medical clarification. The bike used turned out to be a stolen children's bike, whereby the man did not want to provide information about the origin.

The police found that the 38-year-old was already known for the police for ownership offenses and was illegally in Germany. Investigations were initiated against him for suspected theft, violations of the road traffic regulations and the Foreign Police Act. It is not the first time that alcoholized driving in Austria makes headlines; Alcoholized driving is demonstrably one of the most common causes of serious traffic accidents.

high alcohol values and legal consequences

The legal consequences for driving under the influence of alcohol should not be underestimated. In Germany, where similar rules apply, the relative inability to drive begins at 0.3 per thousand. From 0.5 to 1.09 per thousand there are high fines and points in Flensburg. From an alcohol value of 1.1 per thousand, a driver is considered absolutely suitable for driving, which can lead to criminal consequences. With an alcohol value of 1.6 per thousand, participation in a medical-psychological examination (MPU) is mandatory to regain the driver's license. It is important to emphasize that alcohol not only affects reaction ability, but also coordination and vision, which significantly increases the risk of accidents.

The penalties for alcohol at the wheel vary depending on the severity of the violation. With a value of up to 1.09 per thousand, for example, fines between 500 and 1500 euros and one to three months of driving are threatened. From 1.1 per thousand, the driver's license can be withdrawn for at least six months, and there is a risk of money or imprisonment for up to one year. The legal consequences are serious and can have a significant impact on their future life for those affected.

In this special case with the Polish man, the combination of alcohol, a stolen bicycle and the unauthorized entry ensures an extremely sensitive legal problem. This could not only have financial consequences for the man, but also have a longer prison sentence. Even if he was unharmed, his behavior was extremely dangerous for himself and for other road users.